Hope Requires Work
Leslie McGraw joins Turning A Moment Into A Movement to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy and explore what accountability looks like today. This conversation connects past and present, calling us to move from awareness into action.
The Way to Right Wrongs
The National Park Service is asking for public comments on lynching sites in the Memphis region, including Brownsville, Tennessee—where Elbert Williams was killed in 1940 for organizing Black voter registration. This is more than a historical review. It is a chance for communities and descendant families to help shape how this story is remembered, preserved, and taught. For many of us, especially those with roots stretching from Tennessee to Michigan, this history is not distant. It lives in
Faith, With Works, Is Alive
By Leslie McGraw I carry Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with me not as a symbol, but as a witness. The version of King that shaped my work wasn’t protected by applause or memorials. He was jailed—again and again. He was threatened, surveilled, beaten, and targeted by the state because he organized people to challenge […]
Naming the Wound, Finding the Healing
What happens when lived grief meets clinical wisdom? At the Ann Arbor District Library, George Floyd’s family and leading psychologists gathered for a powerful evening of truth-telling, resilience, and racial healing. From personal loss to the psychology of racial trauma, the panel revealed how turning pain into purpose demands not only courage—but also community, love, […]
Before The World Knew His Name
On what would have been Emmett Till’s 84th birthday, we remember not just the brutal injustice that took his life—but the vibrant boy he was before the world came to know his name. Before his name became a national rallying cry, Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old Black boy navigating the joys and challenges of […]
5th Annual Ypsilanti Area Juneteenth Celebration
The Elbert Williams Voting Corner is excited to be part of the Ypsilanti Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 21—a day that honors Black freedom, resilience, and the ongoing fight for justice. As we gather to celebrate emancipation and community, we also uplift the legacy of Elbert Williams, one of the first known martyrs of the […]
Discovering Juneteenth
Article Reprinted, Courtesy of Brownsville States-Graphic OPINION | DISCOVERING JUNETEENTHBy Leslie McGraw, Great Grandniece of Elbert Williams I didn’t grow up celebrating Juneteenth. Like many Black Americans in the Midwest, I knew of it only vaguely—something about Texas, something about the end of slavery, but it felt distant, like someone else’s history. In my 11th […]
Hannah: True story of a newly freed girl meeting President Abraham Lincoln
Author, Podcast Host, and retired Nurse Pamela Goldstein recounts a story of meeting President Abraham Lincoln, as told to her by 108-year-old Hannah when she worked as her direct caregiver at age 19.
Black History Contributions
Brownsville's 2024 bicentennial will be celebrated with the theme "A Journey Through Our History – A Pathway to Progress". The town's history is shaped by African and European cultures, contributing to a bright future. African cultures have influenced art forms globally, including music genres. Prominent individuals from Brownsville have made national and international contributions. The community celebrates African beauty standards and showcases art like "Women of a New Tribe" by Jerry Taliaf